****Shri Maga Ganapathi-Erumayil Yer:Importance of lyrics in Music***** Yesterday I had a small discussion, which had a subtle undertone of argument :P about the importance of lyrics in Carnatic music. But these days I have been trying to control my urge to educate people through argument especially if the topic is of no national significance. I feel if you are destined, you will feel the way I feel some day or might even feel better. But I am convinced that nobody can be convinced verbally even though one might keep quiet out of respect (or even disgust too :) ). Anyways here is my take on it. Disclaimer: First of all I am not like those communists with low and moderate IQ, who have an opinion about everything, from cabaret to carbon cycle, without knowing anything about either. I do not form opinions based on hearsay evidence. I have many many years of hard work under the tutelage of greatest of the greats in music/arts/languages. I am open for debate but I have no time to teach, clarify and then debate. So those who are not well versed in Indian music and the aesthetics of Indian literature, do not have a decent knowledge of Sanskrit and other Indian languages, please do not throw your I feel it is... kind of opinions. Let us consider for example a simple kriti Shri Mahaganapati in Gowla. A very great Carnatic musician (who is no more :( ) was singing this as Shri Maga ganapati since time immemorial. Even a novice in Sanskrit will know that Ganapati is Parvatis Maga (Son) and not Shri Maga (Lakshmis maga) and it is criminal to make such mistakes. Yet this musician was revered and loved by all the carnatic music aficionados including the musicians and Sanskrit literate crowd. The reason being this musicians music was of such superior quality that these small foibles were ignored and lyrics was treated as secondary. Also it is important to note that not all the Kritis yield themselves to music and there are occasions where you will elongate a vowel, cut short a diphthong that could change the meaning of the song completely. It is desirable to get the diction and meaning as correctly as possible but you can be excused at times especially when raaga bhava becomes predominant to avoid the kriti sounding like a shayari in a mehfil. But the problem arises when you do not even sing a good Gowla nor sing the lyrics properly but claim (like Mr. TKM) You come for my Shahana not for Tyagaraja kriti. It is all the more jarring when music is insipid and lyrics is insensible, for example somebody singing a very poor raaga bhavam and to spice the misery up sing Yer mayil Yer (come ascend the peacock, Lord Muruga) as Erumayil Yer ( ascend the Buffalo, probably this singer is invoking Lord Yama to take his/her life away soon, with the audience that has already died thanks to the music :P what say Arulalan Rajan). There is a song in kannada which has the line heLamma thaaye meaning tell me mother, it is very important to get the right L here which is the La of marathi mandaL or kaLLan- thief in tamil. A very famous singer from Chennai sang it as helamma thaaye meaning Mother please Shit >:( ( Raman Sankaran idh sirikkira visayam illai sinthikya vendiya visayam :P ) Well if such mistakes are committed no matter by who it can become too comical (according to me criminal). What if you can sing good music as well as proper lyrics? The music becomes heavenly. Yes!! There were such greats too in carnatic music who had put additional effort to learn Telugu and Kannada and yesteryear Hindi cinema singers who had learnt Urdu, to be able to get the correct diction and pronounce the songs properly without destroying the meaning completely. To be contd.. Yours Truly Lord Deepak (PBUM)
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 04:42:34 +0000
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